T20
Tigers clean-swept despite Mahmudullah’s late flourish
Bangladesh needed to defend only eight runs in the final over to prevent Pakistan from a clean-sweep of the three-match T20I series on Monday at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Captain Mahmudullah Riayd conceded no run in the first three balls and scalped two wickets as well, but in the end, the Tigers failed to prevail and avoid a clean-sweep. Off the fourth ball of the last over, Iftikhar Ahmed smashed a six before falling apart in the next ball, and Pakistan’s target came down to two runs of the last ball. Mohammad Nawaz smashed the last ball through the extra-cover area to end the series at 3-0.
READ: Mahmudullah has few answers as Tigers’ rut continues
Captain Mahmudullah bagged three wickets in the last over conceding 10 runs. His late flourish brought some life in yet another low-scoring affair at the Mirpur wickets, but that was not enough for the Tigers. To chase down a moderate target of 125, Pakistan top-order put up 104 runs on the board and it was a matter of time for Pakistan to pull up the match. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam scored 32 in the first wicket stand. Babar fell prey to Bangladesh’s only leg spinner Aminul Islam for 19 while Rizwan scored 40. Number three Haider Ali posted 45. In the last four overs, Pakistan needed 26 runs and that later came down to 8 in the last over that Bangladesh failed to defend. Earlier, with another poor batting display, Bangladesh posted a moderate total of 124 for seven in 20 overs. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. Mohammad Naim guided the hosts scoring 47 off 50 balls. Along with him, Shamim Hossain and Afif Hossain also did well scoring 22 and 20 respectively. The hosts’ batters were missing the x-factor in their batting once again. Both Afif and Shamim got a good start but failed to capitalize on it.
READ: Mahmudullah blames top-order batting after defeat to Pakistan Mohammad Wasim and Usman Qadir scalped two wickets each for Pakistan. Pakistan won both of the first two matches quite easily. Bangladesh failed to pose any quality resistance in both games. Both teams will lock horns in a two-Test series beginning on November 26 in Chattogram, and the second Test will be played in Dhaka from December 4.
Cornered Tigers eye to avoid a whitewash vs Pakistan
Aiming to avoid a whitewash in the three-match T20I series, Bangladesh will take on Pakistan on Monday in the final clash at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Due to the poor batting display, Bangladesh lost the first two matches without creating enough resistance against the quality bowling attack of Pakistan. Now, the Tigers stand on the edge of a whitewash.
Bangladesh are missing the services of veteran batter Mushfiqur Rahim and seasoned all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. While Mushfiqur was rested for this series, Shakib has been sidelined due to an injury.
In their absence, the onus was on Mahmudullah Riyad, Afif Hossain, Najmul Hossain and Mohammad Naim to guide the batting line. But they failed to deliver in the first two matches.
Read: Kamrul, Emon added to Bangladesh T20 squad
Ahead of the third T20I, Bangladesh made two changes to the squad adding right-arm pacer Kamrul Islam Rabbi and left-handed opener Parvez Hossain Emon.
Emon was one of Bangladesh’s mainstays during their U-19 World Cup triumph in 2020 in South Africa. He also displayed his T20 batting prowess in the Bangabandhu T20 Cup last year. He has the record of hitting the fastest T20 century as a Bangladeshi batter.
The left-handed batter played a total of 24 T20s and scored 563 runs in an average of 24.47 with a century.
Kamrul has also shown some quality bowling in T20s. but he was never a part of the Bangladesh T20 team before. He played a total of 68 T20s and bagged 80 wickets with the best bowling figure of taking four wickets conceding 10 runs. He also played seven Tests.
It was learnt that the right-handed opener, Saif Hassan, who got his T20I cap in the first match of the series and also took part in the second, has been asked to leave the team hotel and join the Test probable in Chattogram.
Read: Pakistan wrap up series beating Bangladesh by eight wickets
Now, Emon is the only opener in the team along with Mohammad Naim. So it is expected that Emon will join Naim to open the innings on Monday.
Left-arm pacer duo Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam are uncertain for the final match due to some injury concerns. They might be replaced with other uncapped pacers Shohidul Islam and Rabbi.
After the T20I series, both the teams will travel to Chattogram for the first Test of the two-match series beginning on November 26. The second Test of the series will be played in Dhaka from December 4.
Magical Marsh powers Australia to maiden T20 World Cup title
Mitchell Marsh hit 77 not out after an outstanding bowling spell by Josh Hazlewood to help Australia lift their maiden T20 World Cup title against New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.
Hazlewood's 3/16 off 4 overs helped restrict New Zealand to 172 for 4 before all-rounder Marsh, bolstered by in-form David Warner, struck a match-winning half-century to inflict yet more misery on New Zealand in ICC World Cup Finals.
Kane Williamson, leading his side in a third consecutive ICC world championship final since 2019 (NZ also played the final of the 2015 ODI World Cup under Brendan McCullum), compiled a masterful 85 to help guide his team to a challenging total after losing the toss.
In reply, David Warner and Marsh hit a fifty each to guide the mighty Aussies to their maiden T20 World Cup in their second finals appearance. Australia played their first T20 World Cup final back in 2010 which they lost to England.
Warner won the player of the tournament award for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament (289 runs), and Marsh won the award for player of the final for taking the game away from New Zealand from the moment he hit the first ball he faced for six.
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Final: Which Players would make it to an Australia-New Zealand Combined T20I XI?
T20WC Final: Wonderful Williamson propels NZ to 172/4
After being dropped on 17 by Josh Hazlewood, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson smashed 85 off 48 balls to propel his team to a competitive 172/4 in 20 overs against Australia in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday in Dubai.
Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first. The teams that fielded first in Dubai in this World Cup have won most of the matches (11 out of 12). That trend might have given Australian captain Aaron Finch the advantage on winning the toss.
Williamson's 85 is the highest score by a captain in T20 World Cup finals. Along the way, Williamson surpassed 64 of Sri Lanka’s former captain Kumar Sangakkara (2014). And, it was the joint highest innings by any batsman tied with Marlon Samuel’s 85 not out in 2016.
Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021 Final: Which Players would make it to an Australia-New Zealand Combined T20I XI?
During the powerplay, New Zealand remained mostly quiet as they scored 32 for one. In the next 5 overs, the Blackcaps scored only 25 runs without any further loss of wicket.
In the 11th over, Williamson hit Mitchell Starc off three fours and amassed 19 runs in that over. When Williamson was on fire, Martin Guptil was slightly slow, but his slow stay in the middle ended off the first ball of the 12th over when he went for the slog-sweep, but couldn’t hit the ball well and caught at the deep mid-wicket area.
Williamson picked up his fifty off 32 balls hitting Glenn Maxwell for two sixes in the 13th over.
At the end of 15 overs, New Zealand were at 114 for two. In the 16th over, Williamson went after Starc and smashed him off four fours and one six to score 22 runs with a dot.
Read:T20 World Cup: Finalists eye maiden title in shortest format
However, in the 18th over, Hazlewood scalped two wickets and kept New Zealand down under 180 runs.
New Zealand’s highest partnership came in the third wicket when Williamson and Guptil added 68 off 37 balls. The Blackcaps eventually, ended up on 172 for four in 20 overs. They couldn’t hit the ball well in the last two overs when they posted only 23 runs, after Williamson was dismissed.
T20 World Cup: Finalists eye maiden title in shortest format
Both Australia and New Zealand are keeping their goal simple— to win the title— ahead of the final of the ongoing T20 World Cup which is all set to take place on Sunday in Dubai.
Australia’s first chance was ruined by England in the final of the 2010 World Cup, but they are determined to grab the one title that eludes them on Sunday. New Zealand, on the other hand, have their first chance after ending heavily-fancied England's run in the semifinal.
“It’s one that’s eluded us in the past, and the fact that we are here in the final gives us the best opportunity to rectify that,” Aaron Finch, the Australian captain, said on Saturday. “I think it will be a great game against New Zealand. They are a great side and they have been in all the finals over the last six years.”
The final of the 2015 World Cup was the last, and only previous, occasion these two neighbouring countries faced each other in a World Cup final. New Zealand capitulated by seven wickets in Melbourne.
The Blackcaps continued their final presence in 2019 when they were narrowly beaten by England on a controversial boundary count that has since been removed from the rules. The final of this year’s T20 World Cup is a fourth straight final for them, at an ICC World Cup event - earlier this year they also played the final of the Test championship, and won it.
Read: T20 World Cup 2021 Final: Preview of Australia vs. New Zealand Match
Before beating Pakistan in the semifinal, Australia won four of the five matches they played in the Super 12s stage, and New Zealand have also registered as many wins before the semifinal against England.
The toss might play a big role in the final. All five of Australia’s wins came when they won the toss and fielded first. A total of 12 matches were hosted by Dubai in this World Cup, and 11 of them were won by the team who batted second.
Like most of the matches in this World Cup, the spinners might play a big role in the final as well. Adam Zampa has been one of the best bowlers of the event. He has all the ability to impress in the final. Though Finch, the Australian captain believes that the responsibility does not lie with any one person.
“I think like I said before, at some point throughout the tournament, everyone in our XI has had a match-winning contribution, which has been really impressive. I don't think it's down to one person,” Finch added.
According to Finch, in a big game like the World Cup final, everyone needs to come up and execute the duty they have. He said: “(To win) everyone to chip in their part and that is a part of the pressure of a final and if it’s your day as an individual, trying to maximize that and go in as big as you can.”
New Zealand captain Kane Willaimson is also looking forward to winning the World Cup for his nation.
Read: Australia pull off late comeback to kill Pakistan's World Cup dream
“It (winning WC) would be some achievement. But you know, where it stands at the moment is there's a game of cricket to play, and for us, it's focusing on that and focusing on our cricket and looking to go out there and implement those things that are important to us,” Williamson said in the pre-final press conference.
New Zealand will miss the services of Devon Conway, their wicketkeeper, in the final. He broke his hand after punching his bat out of frustration after getting out against England.
“Obviously the loss of Devon is a big one. You know, he's been a big part of all formats for us, and you know, a disappointing and really freak thing to happen. But for us, it's keeping our focus on the task, and all the players really excited with the opportunity tomorrow to go out,” Williamson added.
Before the World Cup final, New Zealand and Australia faced each other in 14 T20Is with Australia winning nine of those, and losing only four. But this stat is unlikely to play a major role when the two teams lock horns in the final.
Pakistani cricket team arrives in Dhaka
To play three T20Is and two Tests against Bangladesh, the Pakistan national cricket team arrived in Dhaka on Saturday morning.
This is Pakistan’s first Bangladesh tour for a bilateral series after 2015.
The Pakistani team took a direct flight to Dhaka from Dubai where they ended their T20 World Cup campaign with a defeat in the hands of Australia in the semis. Before that defeat, they were playing wonderful cricket -- winning five out of five matches.
Read: Brazil Qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as the first South American team
The T20I series will begin on November 19 in Dhaka, while the other two matches will be played on November 20 and 22 at the same venue.
After that, both teams will travel to Chattogram where the first Test will begin on November 26. The teams will return to Dhaka to play the second Test which will begin on December 4.
Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is yet to announce the squad for this series. It is expected that the board will bring some big changes to the squad.
Australia pull off late comeback to kill Pakistan's World Cup dream
Matthew Wade hit three sixes off the last three balls of the 19th over bowled by the otherwise excellent Shaheen Shah Afridi to carry Australia to the final of the ICC T20 World Cup for the first time since 2010, beating Pakistan by five wickets in a nailbiting second semifinal Thursday in Dubai.
Australia will now take on New Zealand in the final on November 14 at the same venue. Neither team has won the World Cup in cricket's shortest version before, and although they faced each other in the final of the 2015 ODI World Cup, this will be the first World Cup final between the two neighbours parted by the Tasman Sea - a Transtasman final.
Right before the final blow, Wade got a life due to Hassan Ali’s sloppy fielding at the deep. Australia needed 18 runs of nine balls when Wade decided to take it to Afridi.
Australia needed 22 in the last 12 overs. Riding on Wade’s mighty hitting, they scored these runs with six balls to play. And thus, Australia ended the superb run of Pakistan in this World Cup.
Afridi had been bowling like a dream throughout the tournament, and he got the early breakthrough with the new ball on this night too. But coming into the second last over of the second semifinal, he delivered his worst over of the event.
Australia won the toss in this match and sent Pakistan bat first. Who posted 176 for four in 20 overs.
In reply, Australia lost the first wicket in the first over of the innings when Afridi removed Australian captain Aaron Finch for a golden duck. But the Aussies managed to control the early damage carefully.
In the second wicket stand, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh added 51 runs off 36 balls which has set the foundation for them.
T20 World Cup: Pakistan post 176 vs Australia in 2nd semi-final
Riding on the fifties by Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan posted a challenging total of 176 for four in 20 overs against Australia in the 2nd semi-final of the T20 World Cup on Thursday at Dubai.
Australia won the toss and sent Pakistan to bat first.
In the first wicket stand, Pakistan posted 71 in 10 overs. Captain Babar Azam , who hit four fifties in the last five matches, scored 39 off 34 balls with five fours.
It was Adam Zampa who stunned Babar with a delivery tossed up at the stumps and Babar went for a slog-sweep and caught at the long-on area.
Before Babar’s dismissal, Pakistan posted 47 runs without losing any wicket. In the World Cup, Pakistan lost a wicket in the powerplay only on two occasions.
Mohammad Rizwan continued on a good run as he came up with a 50 in this match. He completed his 50 off 41 balls. It was Rizwan’s third half century in this World Cup. Along the way, Rizwan became the first batter in history to complete 1000 T20I runs in a calendar year.
Rizwan was removed by Mitchel Starc at 67 off 52 with three fours and four sixes. He tried to clear through mid-off but failed to connect the ball well as Steve Smith took a regulation catch.
In the next over after Rizwan’s dismissal, Asif Ali suffered a golden duck. It was a slower delivery by Pat Cummins. The delivery was quite at the slot. Asif went for a big shot but failed to catch the slower one, and lofted an easy catch to Smith.
Pakistan were able to score only three runs off the 19th over bowled by Cummins. It was a wonderful over by the pacer.
Fakahar Zaman hit two sixes off the fourth and fifth ball of the last over, and thus, Pakistan’s total passed 175— they ended up at 176 for four in 20 overs.
With two sixes in the last over, Fakhar completed a fifty and remained unbeaten for 55 off 32 balls with three fours and four sixes.
For Australia, Mitchell Starc bagged two wickets while Cummins and Zampa scalped one wicket each.
To win this match, Australia will have to score at a run rate of 8.85.
T20 World Cup: Australia opt to bowl first vs Pakistan in 2nd semifinal
Australia have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Pakistan in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup on Thursday in Dubai.
Pakistan have won all the five matches they have played in this World Cup so far while Australia lost one out of five they played.
For Pakistan, captain Babar Azam, opener Mohammad Rizwan, veteran-duo Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez have been tremendous in the field.
In contrast, David Warner, Aaron Finch, Adam Zampa were also fabulous in this World Cup.
Both the teams have a great chance to join New Zealand in the final of November 14 which will also take place in Dubai.
In the first semifinal, New Zealand beat England riding on the wonderful batting show by Jemmy Neesham and Daryl Mitchel.
Australia have won three out of six matches they have played against Pakistan in the T20 World Cups while Pakistan won the others.
Pakistan (Playing XI): Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
T20 World Cup 2021: Top Three Individual Performances by Bangladesh Players
Bangladesh failed to win a single match in the Super 12 Round of the World Cup. They had only won two games in the competition, both of which were against weaker opponents in the qualifying round. Bangladesh had qualified for the Super 12s thanks to those victories; otherwise, they would have been eliminated in the qualifiers. Overall, team performance was unimpressive, but there were a few moments of individual brilliance during the competition. Let's take a look at Bangladesh's top three individual performances in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Bangladesh's Best Three Individual Performances in the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup
The world's best all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan made crucial contributions to Bangladesh's Super 12 Round qualification. His all-around efforts helped the Tigers’ two wins in the qualifiers. Whereas, right-arm pacer Taskin Ahmed impressed cricket experts with his ball control. Here are the finest three performances among the Bangladeshi players in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Read Meet the Semi-Finalists of ICC T20 World Cup 2021
Shakib Al Hasan (42 & 3/28 against Oman)
Bangladesh were under pressure after losing the first qualifier by 6 runs against Scotland. They didn't have a choice but to win the following two games if they were to make the Super 12s. Thankfully, veteran Shakib Al Hasan's all-round efforts helped Bangladesh to comfortably hold on to those matches.
Shakib played a vital 42 off 29 balls knock in the match against Oman. He put up an 80-run stand with opener Mohammad Naim, providing a foundation for a big total to defend. Bangladesh settled for 153 runs in the end.
Read Perfect Pakistan face Australia in semifinals; NZ v England
Shakib Al Hasan showed his real class with the ball after a magnificent performance with the bat. He took three wickets for 28 runs in his four overs and restricted Oman to 127/9 in 20 overs. This was another top-notch effort from Shakib Al Hasan, especially when the team needed him the most.
Shakib Al Hasan (46 & 4/9 against Papua New Guinea)
Bangladesh scored a massive 181/7 in their allotted 20 overs while batting first against Papua New Guinea. Shakib came to the crease after losing Naim in the first over and remained till the 14th over. He took the total to 101 runs, and in the process, he put up a 50-run stand with Liton Das for the second wicket. The left-hander scored 46 runs in the match.
Read T20 World Cup: Kiwis break over a billion hearts quietly
Bangladesh batters made life easy for the bowlers by amassing a massive total. The batters from Papua New Guinea had a difficult time in the middle. They looked clueless, especially against Shakib, and were finally bowled out for 97 runs with three balls to spare. Bangladesh clinched the match by 84 runs and qualified for the Super 12s Round.
Shakib Al Hasan had another successful outing, taking four wickets for only nine runs in four overs.
Taskin Ahmed (2/18 against South Africa)
If Bangladesh had beaten South Africa, they would have had a chance to go to the semifinals. However, batters were dismal against the Proteas bowling attack, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 84 runs with nine balls to spare.
Read SAfrica’s 10-run win v England not enough to avoid WCup exit
Despite the failure of the Bangladesh batting, Taskin Ahmed was a standout among the bowlers. The right-arm pacer showcased his real talent in this match, and everyone praised his superb bowling discipline.
Taskin came out strong from the start, taking two wickets for 18 runs in four overs against a strong batting lineup. His line, length, and ability to adjust his bowling to the conditions have all significantly improved, which is a positive sign for Bangladesh cricket.
Read Tigers directly qualify for Super 12s of next T20 World Cup
Way Forward
Apart from the players mentioned above, a few more had strong performances at the T20 World Cup 2021. One of them is opener Mohammad Naim, who was in excellent form throughout the tournament. Besides, Captain Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, and Mustafizur Rahman had good performances in one or two matches.
The Bangladesh team was unable to work together as a unit, resulting in a disappointing end in the mega event. The BCB needs to reconsider its strategy in order to develop T20 cricket. Bangladesh's next series would be against Pakistan at home. As per reports, the squad and team management both will undergo considerable changes prior to this bilateral contest.
Read Khaled Mahmud added to national team staff